In 2024, John Poulakidas led the Yale Bulldogs to a historic win during March Madness over the number four, Auburn. This earned him instant legend status at the Ivy League school and helped take the team to the second round of the tournament.
“Folk hero”, the New York Post called him after that game, where he more than doubled his average of 13.1 points per game in the regular season to 28 points. Hitting 10 of 15 shots and six of nine from three, he showed that he knows how to handle pressure when the lights get bright.
It was a step-back three by Poulakidas with 2:10 remaining, which gave Yale the 73-72 lead that it was able to hold on to. Voted most-improved player that season, he followed up next year’s March Madness tournament with a team-high 23 points, and 16 points in the second half, in a loss to Texas A&M, according to the Yale website.
The 6-foot-6 wing/shooting guard went undrafted in 2025 after four years at Yale, finishing with a 40.2 percent average from beyond the arc.
Before signing a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks this week, Poulakidas played 24 games with the San Diego Clippers in the g-league, averaging 14.7 points, while shooting a remarkable 47.3 percent from three.
A very effective shooter at all levels until now, John Poulakidas could provide a spark to the Dallas Mavericks’ last games of the season, if he gets time and space. As late as in February, he scored a career-high 30 points for the San Diego Clippers and broke the franchise record with a whopping 10 three-pointers.
Poulakidas will have one of the best three-point shooters in history around in Dallas, and just having the opportunity to practice with someone like Klay Thompson could be a career-changer for him. If he manages to grab the opportunity he most likely will get, as the season comes to an end, he may be able to showcase to the whole league what he’s capable of. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really. No pressure.